Sparkle Your Life with Elizabeth TV show logo in The Substance
In the fall of 2024, the film The Substance premiered worldwide, marking a significant milestone in the formation of feminist body horror as an independent genre. At the heart of the plot is Elizabeth Sparkle, a once-successful Hollywood actress. Pressured by societal expectations and unrealistic beauty standards, she turns to a dubious serum sourced from the black market, with catastrophic consequences. This Cronenberg-esque tale raises timeless questions about the perception of a woman while exposing the ills of a toxic system, reimagined for new times, with new “solutions”.
To create her show Sparkle Your Life with Elizabeth, the filmmakers selected Bee Four, URW’s digital version of Filmotype Gamma, and Flash Back by BLKBK, mimicking the 1980s VHS tape fitness aesthetic when shows like this were at their peak. Notably, the font used for the phrase “With Elizabeth” feels like an autograph, to show a personal touch to the branding. She is the host, the star of the show, and she invites the audience to the glamorous and dynamic world of aerobics.
